Maintenance bracket



Oct. 23, 1951 P. T. HAURY ET AL 2,572,618

MAINTENANCE BRACKET Filed Feb. 11, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet l P. ZHAURY INVENTORS- AJ'WIER A7TORNEV Oct. 23, 1951 p, HAURY ETAL 2,572,618

MAINTENANCE BRACKET Filed Feb. 11, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 R 7? HAU/PY V ,4../. W/ER ATTORNEY Oct. 23, 1951 P. T. HAURY ETAL 2,572,618

' MAINTENANCE! BRACKET Filed Feb. 11 1950 3 Sheets-Shec 3 .P. 7: HAUR) INVENTORS. AW,- W/ER ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 23, 1951 MAINTENANCE BRACKET Paul T. Haury, Raritan Township, Middlesex County, and Anthony J. Wier, Cranford, N. J., assignors to Bell Telephone Laboratories, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a. corporation of New York Application February 11, 1950, Serial No. 143,792

8 Claims.

This invention relates to mounting racks for panel mounted electrical equipment units and more particularly to a bracket assembly for temporarily supporting the panel.

One object of the invention is the provision of a bracket assembly which will facilitate the removal and support of the panel and its associated apparatus during inspection and servicing operations.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved method and apparatus for temporarily supporting panel mounted electrical equipment during inspection and servicing operations which permits ready access to all portions of the equipment.

A still further object of the invention is an improved method and apparatus for temporarily supporting panel mounted electrical equipment during inspection and servicing operations which will prevent the panel from being dislodged from its support with the consequent damage thereto.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for removing and temporarily supporting, from a rack or the like, an apparatus panel having electrical equipment mounted thereon, during inspection and servicing operations. The invention contemplates inserting in apertures in each end of the panel and into engagement with threaded apertures in the side rails of the rack, horizontally extending rods having offset portions on the free ends thereof. The offset ends of the rod are provided with suitable wing nuts for holding downwardly extending arms in slidable and pivotal engagement therewith.

The lower or free ends of the downwardly extending arms are provided with suitable brackets for securing the free ends of the downwardly extending arms, to the side rails of the rack some distance below or above the horizontally extending rods.

The panel is disengaged from the rack by removing the screws which secure it to the side rails and sliding it outwardly on the horizontal extending rods until the ends of the panel engage the offset portions of the rods. The panel may then be rotated 90 degrees or until the back of the panel engages the upper sides of the horizontal extending rods. In order to assure the secure positioning of the panel, clips or clamps are provided which are adapted to engage the upper side of the panel and the underside of the extending rods.

The invention, its organization and the mode of operation will be more fully understood from the following detailed description when read in 2 conjunction with the following drawings of which:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of a portion of a mounting rack with the apparatus panel in position thereon and a pair of horizontally extending rods readily secured to the side rails of the rack through suitable apertures at the ends of the panel and a pair of downwardly extending arms pivotally secured to the free ends of the horizontally extending rods;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but shows, in dot dash lines, the panel loosened from the rack and in full lines the downwardly extending arms secured to the side rails of the rack and the panel rotated approximately 45 degrees on the offset ends of the horizontally extending rods;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Figs. 1 and 2 but shows the panel rotated approximately degrees, the rearside thereof in engagement with the top portion of the horizontally extending rods and clamps holding the panel in engagement with the rods to prevent it from dislodgement, and shows in dot and dash lines an alternate position of the bracing arms.

Referring now to the drawing in which like numbers identify like elements:

The supporting rack to which this invention is particularly applicable, but not necessarily limited, comprises a pair of vertical extending:

parallel channel or U-shaped side rails l0 and I L. These rails may be the standard felay rack up rights which are connected together at their bottom (not shown) to provide a unitary structure.

Apparatus panels such as shown at 12 are secured to the side rails l2 and i i by suitable screws l3 and I4 which pass through apertures in the panel and into engagement with threaded apertures I 5 and It in the side rails l3 and I l as shown in Fig. 1.

As shown in the various figures, the apparatus panel [2 has mounted on each side thereof various pieces of electrical apparatus which may comprise vacuum tubes, relays, coils, condensers, transformers and the like, which are wired together and must be inspected and serviced from time to time.

In order to facilitate the inspection and servicing of the equipment mounted on each side of the panel [2, means are provided for expeditiously removing the panel from the rack and positioning it so both sides are available.

As shown in Fig. 1, the first step in the removal of the panel I2, is to remove one of the screws l3 and H from each end of the panel to expose in engagement with said extending rods and said panel for preventing displacement of said panel.

7. Apparatus for removing ?a vertically mounted panel from a support and positioning it horizontally which comprises rods passing through apertures in each end 01' the panel to threadedly engage the support and extend outwardly therefrom, said rods having at their free ends upwardly extending vertical portions, the ends of which are threaded and extend outwardly in a horizontal plane at right angles to said rods, downwardly extending armsipivotally mounted on said threaded portions, means on said threaded portions for securing said arms thereon, means on the lower endsor said arms for securing said arms to said supports for bracing said rods to permit the pivotal rotation of said panel thereon, and means in engagement with said horizontally extending rods .and said panel for preventing displacement of said panel.

8. Apparatus for removing a vertically mounted panel from a support and positioning it horizontally which comprises rods passing through apertures in each end 01' the panel to threadedly engage the support and extend outwardly therefrom, said arms having at their free ends upgagement with said horizontally extending rods and said panel for preventing displacement of said panel.

PAUL T. HAURY. ANTHONY J. WIER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,322,901 Heinlein Nov. 25, 1919 2,111,903 Rona Mar. 22, 1938 2,144,772 Plants Jan. 24, 1939 2,486,764 Singer Nov. 1, 1949 

